Where did all the media frenzies lead us, till now.
Rang De Basanti was a fortuitous flash of inspiration for the ‘new’ media. The story of a youth like ‘us’, who rise up in anger against something old and wrong. And achieve a hero status. That was a story that could easily take hold of millions of young minds. The idea-starved media took a shot at it. And hit pay dirt gold. They fell over themselves in making the reservations a national issue. And ‘we’ played into it by braving water cannons and lighting candles and walking with long strides and fierce eyes. Till we realised that they had turned away. Looking past when we most needed the strength and sense of power they subtly offered us. As moved on to other things.
How many of these ‘this-has-changed-India’ moments have we had. The booming Sensex? We saw it all over. A new, confident, resurgent India. Karan Johar neatly twitching with pride with Richard Gere fawning him over with his brand of India eulogising and China bashing.
More recently they say that we have had enough of terrorism, and that enough was enough, and it looked like they were again fighting for us. Fat chance. Mumbais gun weilders are long past dead. As we realise that the media was sometimes fighting among us , and mostly over us. There are numerous other examples. Many are city specific. A frenzy that helps them comfortably get seated in the psyche of a people. And stay on there with yearly subscriptions making us feel like we cannot do without them. BalThackeray, now Rama Sene, pink chaddis and all. Reminds me of a senior of mine. Who encouraged conflict only because it allowed him to retain the reigns of power. All over again it happens. Pink chaddis won’t last long. Tomorrow they will be SO yesterday’s news.
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